e-newsletter v. 2009-06

It was beautiful in the mountains as many of us headed to Boone for the AAUW state meeting. We gathered at the Broyhill Inn and Conference Center on the campus of Appalachian State University on October 9-10.

We took care of many business items, had a few workshops, and enjoyed great fellowship with other members from around the state.

One of the meeting highlights was saying thank you to THB member/treasurer, Nancy Shoemaker for the many vital roles she has played in AAUW NC over the last decade. A framed copy of a resolution was presented to her by AAUW NC president Millie Hoffler-Foushee recognizing her many contributions. Congratulations, Nancy.

Congratulations, too, to branch member Queen Thompson who has been appointed to the AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund Committee. She is the only member from North Carolina other than AAUW Finance Vice President Millie Hoffler-Foushee who is serving on any of the national committees and task forces. Congratulations, Queen.

The new structuring of AAUW as a non profit organization has required us to update our bylaws to conform to new changes voted on in St. Louis in June. Board members spent time in Boone working on bylaws issues. I am happy to announce that your bylaws committee members Nancy Shoemaker, Pat Abell and Doris Bernlohr have finished our update which is now posted on our website.

We also spent time in Boone going over the new AAUW Affiliate Agreement. All AAUW states and branches must sign this new Affiliate Agreement affirming their affiliation with AAUW by October 31, 2009. By signing this new affiliate agreement, branches and states that are state tax exempt under IRS Code 501(c)(4) also affirm intent to be included in AAUW’s new group tax exemption. With the restructuring of AAUW so that the 501(c)(3) charitable entity is now the organization’s dominant membership entity previous agreements are no longer valid. Signing this new Affiliate Agreement entitles members to deduct a major portion of their national membership dues on their federal tax returns for the first time.

As our branch without borders moves into our second year, our first nominating committee has been appointed by the board. The charge to the nominating committee is to craft a slate for the election next spring — president, treasurer, and directors-at large. Many thanks to the following members who have agreed to serve on the committee:

We currently have 45 members and we need the help of everyone if the branch is to be successful. Remember, I asked each of you to bring at least one new member into our group before Dec. 31. One way to do that is with our gift membership program. To get you started see the new “gift membership” section on the branch web site: http://tarheel.aauwnc.org/give-a-gift

If you’d like to “stay in the loop,” one way to do that without getting even more e-mail is to join Facebook. Most people join Facebook so that they can share pictures and other updates with close friends, but it’s also a way to get information from organizations. So if you do join, please become a “fan” of AAUW North Carolina — simply login to Facebook, go to http://bit.ly/aauwnc-fb, then click the “become a fan” button at the top. Information from AAUW NC will show up in your Facebook home page along with the other information from your friends.